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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · mine · fork · ruler · pit · fall · game · board

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fall — the season
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. current — of water
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com